Celebrating their 25th anniversary, more than 100 national and international guests were invited to join the discussion around top class presentations. Resistenzlabor worldwide leader in producing doublehaploid lines. Renaming into SAATEN-UNION BIOTEC GmbH.
Will we have yields of 75 dt/ha of oilseed rape in Europe in the future? What is the state of the art of modern biotechnology in plant breeding? What is the role genetically modified plants? More than 100 international guests from academia, politics and practical plant breeding discussed these and further interesting topics during the top class meeting in April of the 25th anniversary of SAATEN-UNION Resistenzlabor.
DH-technology and molekular markers are standard today.
The Resistenzlabor, founded 1984 in Leopoldshöhe-Hovedissen on the grounds of the W. von Borries-Eckendorf plant breeding company by the members of SAATEN-UNION did take off at rapid speed since then. As early as 1985 doublehaploid technique was used in the lab e.g. to select faster for disease resistance in barley, oilseed rape, rye, wheat, triticale, and durum. Currently more than a 100.000 doublehaploid lines are produced annually making the lab the largest producer worldwide. Since 1993 also molecular markers are used alongside DH technology. By using this biotechnological method, gene pools can be differentiated and disease resistance as well as quality parameters of a plant variety can be evaluated much more precisely. The services of the lab are used primarily by the members of SAATEN-UNION and DSV, Lippstadt. Besides that other international plant breeding companies and research institutions are working together with the lab. Due to the growing demand a second operating site was founded in 2007 in the Biopark Gatersleben. Today a total of 46 people are employed by the company. The managing directors are Dr. Jens Weyen and Dr. Martin Frauen. To reflect the increasing international focus and additional work areas the lab was now renamed in SAATEN-UNION BIOTEC GmbH. Quo vadis plant breeding?
The speakers Prof. G. Wenzel, TU München, Prof. H. Becker, Uni Göttingen, Prof. W. Friedt, Uni Gießen, Prof. F. Ordon, JKI Quedlinburg, Prof. T. Altmann, IPK Gatersleben, Prof. U. Schurr, Forschungszentrum Jülich, did illustrate the possibilities of biotechnology based plant breeding today and in the future.
Besides the analysis of genetic information sensor based rating of plant characters or traits (phenotyping) will be used together with visual observations for plant selection. The development of roots under water stress conditions e.g. can be visualized and analyzed in soil using sensor techniques
Several breeders of SAATEN-UNION members, Dr. V. Lein (SU Recherche, Frankreich), Dr. E. Laubach (Nordsaat, Gudow) and Dr. M. Frauen (NPZ, Hohenlieth) gave an account on their cooperative work together with the Biotec lab placing strong emphasis on the development of high yielding and resistant varieties of barley, hybrid wheat and hybrid oilseed rape. Plant breeding is made much more efficient using biotechnology,that is the conclusion of plant breeders and scientists.
Additionally to the use of tissue culture methods and molecular markers, the application of genetic transformation could boost innovation in modern plant breeding. This is comparable to the development from the horse drawn plough to modern tractors in the beginning of the 20th century. Today the biological basics of plant genetics are much better described and understood. The challenge now is the use of these advantages to increase yields and improve the disease and stress resistance in agricultural production.
The methods and tools are available in the SAATEN-UNION BIOTEC GmbH and can be implored as soon as politics and society begin to accept these innovations.
29.4.2009
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